šµ Music, AI and the decimation of memory
A more personal take on an under-discussed aspect of AI-gen music.
I have mentioned it in passing before now, but for context on this piece: over the past few months, my wife and I have been slowly losing my mother-in-law to Alzheimerās. It was getting worse through most of last year, but - as anyone who has been there will tragically relate - this year it hit that turning point where it became necessary for her to move into full-time care back in January.
Alzheimerās is the cruellest disease. It dismantles a personās mind, slowly, brutally, reducing incredible people to a shell of their former selves before ultimately taking their lives. The victimās personality can shift on a fundamental level as this progresses, and at points the distress that can cause is intolerable.
Memory is the main thing that is affected, as you all know. Ironically, short-term memory tends to be what is hit first; a person might recall something from last year, but may not be able to say what they were doing three hours ago. In that respect, there is a cold, unfurling horror to this all that I would not wish on my worst enemy. I have described it to friends as like witnessing a slow-motion fatal car crash that you can do nothing to prevent. Consider that for a moment. The impact it has on everyone around it is equally savage and unforgiving.
When we were at the care home recently, I could hear some kind of ersatz 50s rock nā roll playing. It was coming from a TV on the wall, which was playing a YouTube channel that exclusively comprised AI-generated 50s rock nā roll music. As if that wasnāt enough, each had its own 4K, AI-made video; a full-on Americana schtick of busty women in high cut denim shorts bending over finned Cadillac-like cars amidst a blue sky, a red setting sun and that Cali desert background.
I assume the aim here was to provide a background of music that might suit the demographic of most of the residents of the home, most of whom (but not all sadly - early onset dementia is a thing too) are in their 80s or 90s.
In truth though, the greatest affront to this musicās presence is that it denies these people the memories that can come flooding back when genuine music from that period is heard.
As I mentioned, my mother-in-lawās memory - like anyone with Alzheimerās - is now severely disrupted. We might visit in a morning, and by the afternoon, that memory will have gone.
Play some Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald, however, and something else happens - something quite magical. And itās a proven thing.
Check out this example (jump to 2m15s if the bookmark doesnāt work):
The impact is profound.
This is a fairly well-covered topic, too. I suspect most people are unaware though, becauseā¦ well, frankly I think we donāt like to focus on topics like sickness, decline and death, because generally in western culture Iām not sure we have reconciled ourselves with any of it.
This doc is also worth a watch, though, as it also provides dimension to this all:
We put on some Sinatra for my mother-in-law recently. As the music played, she lit up. Her eyes were aglow, and she started singing along, a smile on her face, knowing every word. She recounted the now famous (among the family!) tale of how she saw Sinatra at the Commodore Hotel here in Hammersmith, London, back when Frankās career was at a comparatively low ebb, and he was touring every spot he could. She loves to remark how sheād just been walking down the street in Hammersmith with a friend, and they saw the sign outside the hotel stating that Olā Blue Eyes was playing, so figured āwhy not?!ā and went in. What they got - for some aburdly cheap entry fee, she assures me - was a legendary performance from the big man.
Even now, this tale will be told with a wide smile and lucidity that shows how powerful these memories are. With just the slightest trigger they come tumbling in, thick and fast, lighting up the mind and bringing all manner of emotions forward.
Never, ever underestimate the power of music.
You might nod and think āOK sure, I get thatā, but I donāt think we actually recognise just how deep that connection goes. Think about it: as the mind is being dismantled by this vile disease, trying to rob every last vestige of what makes a person who they are, those connections, as if forged by titanium links, remain unbreakable. They might be the strongest anchor points of connection a person has before eventually, inevitably, the disease will finally corrode those too and claim everything.
Now, return your mind to that AI-generated, fake 50s rock nā roll. It has no attachment to anyone. There are no memories formed around it. It comes and goes like sticks flowing past in a stream. Here it is, there it goes, andā¦ itās gone. No one latched anything on to that.
Is this the future we want? An AI-fed spew of whatever weāre in the mood for at the time?
This is the part of AI-gen music that scares me the most. I understand that people will want to create their own sounds, but it is perhaps the last blow to a unified cultural take on something that affects us collectively.
I am under no delusion that AI-gen music will eclipse all known music. I donāt feel that we will live in a world solely comprising disposable music made to match our moods. Humans simply donāt work like that.
What I do feel, however, is that the more these throwaway tools are allowed to steal bandwidth from real art and culture, just like this channel in the care home, the more memories we fail to attach to music, forged with those titanium links. If music just becomes a āspin it up on demandā solution for people, it is instantly disposable, and nothing is attached to it.
Mercifully, I have not seen the AI rock n roll music drivel back at the care home. In my head, I hope that someone else visiting a loved one pointed out how horrible it was.
We talk so much about AI-gen music in the context of how it affects the industry; from those economic standpoints more than anything. And thatās fair: it has an impact and we should all be conscious of that. However we should never, ever forget that there are wider implications here - ones that I feel literally underpin deep-rooted aspects of who we are.
These things donāt sweep in and take over. They creep in, slowly taking up more and more space. I saw Emily White note in a post recently that a taxi ride she was on was soundtracked by some kind of similarly awful AI soundtrack, for example:
In the face of this all, we must be vigilant. This is not just about nice music or the economy around it: this is about the very way in which we as humans use music to forge neural links that might be the very last thing holding out in our brains before something like Alzheimerās consumes it.
Fight that slow creep with everything youāve got.
Have a great day,
D.
PS - Thank you for reading, and my apologies if you found this a triggering topic, as I am far from the only person currently being affected by the impact of this disease and I know some of you may be in a similar position. I wonāt play the emotional blackmail card here - or perhaps I shall, sorry - but if youāve ever enjoyed reading my work, all for free, then do me a favour and make a donation to the Alzheimerās Society or whatever your domestic equivalent is, becauseā¦ I have to be blunt here: fuck that disease all the way to hell. The sooner we can find a cure, the better the chances are that you, me, a loved one or indeed anyone else might never have to endure this again. That would be incredible. Ergo, any donations help. Thank you. š
š§ listening to āParadise Metalā by ĪĪ¹ĪæĪ½Ļ ĢĻĪ¹ĪæĻ Ī¤Ī±Ī¼ĻĪ±ĢĪŗĪ·Ļ. Hereās something I never had on my 2026 bingo card: Earth/Sunn 0))) drone metal vibes, played by an orthodox Greek priest. And yet, here we are. This is one of those joyous wonders: incredible music coming from such an unexpected source that it only makes you love it all the more. Absolutely wonderful - this is what both music and the joy of music discovery is all about. Massive thanks to Oli Isaacs for the recommendation!
š§ also listening to āAutomatic Writingā by Ataxia. back when this album came out, about 22 years ago, I had huge hopes for it, given it was a collaboration between John Frusciante, one of my favourite guitarists, and Joe Lally of Fugazi. At the time, however, it massively missed the mark for me, and I couldnāt get into it at all Revisiting it all these years later, what Iāve realised is that itās a kind of goth rock masterpiece, bringing the kind of tensions that you find in the music of The Cure or even Joy Division. The end result, though, is quite a delight, and the opening track āDustā is truly formidable.
šŗ watching āAutechre Sean QUICK AMA 7/30/2022 Twitchā. Autechre might, with the possible exception of Boards of Canada, be one of the most elusive artists, not just on the Warp label but anywhere. For that reason, stumbling on this massive six-hour video of Sean Booth casually answering questions that fans fire at him on Twitch is an absolute delight. For me, the real joy is that Sean answers with absolute candour about everything, and that brings a down-to-earth level of insight from someone who doesnāt court fame (and has seemingly zero interest in it) that is absolutely enthralling. Iām not sure you even have to be an Autechre fan to enjoy this. For me, most of the victory is just having an artist be completely and totally honest and candid about just about any question being asked.
š reading āRiding the Rollercoaster: How artists survive the music business to become the legends we loveā by Keith Jopling. Keith kindly sent me a pre-release copy of the book to dive into, and - hopefully without offending the lovely author - I am a little more drawn by this one than its predecessor, as this dives into a topic much closer to my heart. Iāll circle back with thoughts once Iāve finished, but in the meantime, I still recommend grabbing a copy as the topic is one I feel has been crying out for coverage and should make for a great read.
Other points of note:
Last week I joined Alexis Madrigal and various other industry folk on San Franciscoās KQED to discuss marketing music in 2026. Chaotic Good and tricking algorithms comes under discussion, but equally so does a more pressing question: āif that doesnāt work, what does?ā Take a listen here.
My buddy Maarten over at MUSIC x has partnered with AFEM to run a fantastic course on strategic community building. Given all the Chaotic Good drama there is a pervading sense that people are at their witās end as to how to approach marketing. I would argue this course lands at an absolutely perfect time. Well worth taking a look.
I will be out at Superbooth in Berlin next week, along with Charlie, Pete and Dan from our Music Tech division. If youāre also attending and fancy a coffee and a chat, get in touch! Always lovely to network - especially at the wonderful spot that is Superbooth and the mighty FEZ venue.
Similarly, I will be in Brighton the following week on the Thursday and Friday for Great Escape if anyone fancies a catch-up too. Weāre also hosting a drinks event on the Friday so will be sending invites out early next week. Fancy attending? Let me know.
Gleefully accepting music recommendations!
I do really enjoy getting suggestions for either existing music or forthcoming releases to check out. So, if thereās something you think I might like, do feel free to get in touch. Always keen to hear the weird and wonderful things going on out there. And, with 6000+ subscribers, Iām happy to spread word on things Iām loving too.